This invention is directed towards a device for throwing or projecting a ball. The device can be used for training and exercising ball players, such as, professional players, school team players, semi-pro players, little league players and the like.
In many games, such as, baseball, softball and cricket, the catching and batting of the ball is an important aspect of the game. The catching and batting of the ball requires good eye/hand coordination, even though some athletes have natural excellent eye/hand coordination, a majority of the population do not, and must practice to develop this coordination and skill. On Little League teams, junior high and high school teams, college teams, semi-pro teams, intramural sports teams, business league teams and professional teams, the catching and batting of balls is practiced on on-going basis to improve the skills of the player and to maintain their skills at a proficient level. Catching skills are normally enhanced by having a batter hit easy balls or by having one (1) or more players throw to the other players. These are excellent ways to enhance catching skills since they also allow the batter to practice his batting skills or the thrower to practice his throwing skills. Unfortunately, the batter is normally not able to control a hit ball as well as he'd like, either in direction, speed, height, distance or the like. Throwers can control their throws, but as their arms become exhausted they lose control, especially with respect to speed and distance. What is needed is a device that requires very little effort on the part of the operator to throw and pitch balls at a predetermined speed or a predetermined distance to players. Preferably the device can be operated by one (1) person who can rapidly throw balls to a number of players located at different positions in the field or throw controlled pitches. Ideally, the thrower can be used to practice catching for the catcher, short-stop, the basemen and the fielders. The device can also be used for batting practice. The device would also be useable for softball and cricket. The device also could be used in tennis, handball, racquetball, and other types of sports where a projected ball is required to practice a particular technique.
The present device meets these needs, the present device can rapidly throw a ball at a predetermined speed at any chosen angle, chosen direction and/or chosen height. It can be used in baseball, softball, cricket, tennis, handball, racquetball, squash and the like. The device is lightweight, it can use a reservoir of compressed gas which can either be mounted on the device or which can be supplied from a tank via a conventional pressure hose, and it can utilize commonly available pressurized gases, such as air, argon, carbon dioxide and the like. Combustible gases and oxygen are not recommended for safety reasons. However, under strictly controlled conditions these gases might be suitable.